Is your food manufacturing company in full compliance with FSMA yet? The clock is ticking, and deadlines are fast approaching. In fact, compliance dates for some companies have already passed. If you’re behind the timeline, it’s essential to get up to speed before noncompliance penalties are at your doorstep. Implementing the plans and procedures necessary to fulfill FSMA requirements isn’t a quick or easy effort. You may be intimidated by the time commitment and complexity, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to ignore your compliance responsibility. Don’t jeopardize your operations or your brand by letting these problems and challenges get in the way of meeting FSMA regulations.

Animals are susceptible to foodborne illnesses just like humans are, and pet owners want to feel confident that the food they’re giving their pets is safe from contamination. Any threat to the safety of the food they’re purchasing could diminish their trust in the brand and result in reputational damage. As pet food recalls become more widespread, it’s important to assess your food safety efforts and take the necessary steps to prevent a costly outcome.

A food recall can be a manufacturing company’s worst nightmare. In fact, it’s one of the most dreaded possibilities for food safety managers everywhere. That’s because one food recall has the potential to bring your brand to its knees. In response to a recall, consumers may change their purchasing, food preparation and consumption practices, or they may avoid the product for months or years after the recall has ended. Your customers want to know that the products they’re buying are safe, and a single breach in that trust can have rippling effects that completely deteriorate your brand. Once the news of a recall hits the public, it can become a storm of bad press that turns customers away.

Getting your manufacturing operation up to speed with the tremendous transformation happening in the food safety arena requires an authentic shift in mindset and approach. It means adopting a more proactive, preventative plan to address the danger of pathogens. To minimize risk and meet rigorous FSMA requirements, you need a strong environmental monitoring program (EMP) in place. Unfortunately, not all EMPs are created and run the same way, and therefore don’t provide the same amount of protection and risk management! It’s critical to step up and strengthen you EMP, and do it in a way that is specific to the food you produce and will fit your unique facility best. Not sure what to look for?

The recall process in the food manufacturing industry is a highly stressful and expensive one, not to mention the irreparable damage that can be done to your brand. The public has become much more informed and discerning when it comes to food safety issues, which means you must be implementing the most careful processes to prevent contamination in your products. A crucial component of these efforts is having an effective food supplier verification program in place.

The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is rolling out to companies large and small, and with the new compliance mandates comes greater responsibility on the part of food processors and manufacturers. It’s big news in the industry, and hopefully you’ve implemented the requisite plans and procedures to meet the evolving demands of proactive food safety. But does FSMA compliance mean you’ve significantly lowered the risk of a food recall?